‘We are determined to make improvements’
ZOE Billingham, who authored the inspection report on behalf of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, said GMP are now one of the worst forces in the country for poor crime records.
The report looks specifically at the experiences of victims when they deal with GMP.
Its most striking finding, based on analysis of crime reports between April and June of this year, is that more than a fifth of reported crimes are never recorded, rising to one in four where violent offences are concerned.
Averaged out over the course of the year, more than 80,000 reported crimes are not being put on the books, it calculates. GMP also fails to protect the victims of those crimes as a result, it concludes.
The report notes improvements – in particular, the accurate recording of rape and sexual offences crimes – and notes that more calls to 101 are now being picked up. At its last review one in three were not answered, with the proportion now one in five.
GMP’s Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling said: “We welcome inspection and scrutiny as we are committed to providing victims of crime with the highest standards of service. We are obviously disappointed by some of the findings in the report, particularly where we have let victims down.
“However, I want to reassure the public that we treat this matter very seriously. We have a long-term strategic plan in place to address these issues and that we are determined to make whatever other short-term improvements we need to make and to make them as quickly as possible.”
He added: “Since spring, there is strong evidence of improved crime recording rates in many relevant areas, so progress has already been made. The force has also significantly reduced the amount of time taken to answer 101 calls and, subsequently, the abandonment rate – this is despite of the impact Covid has had on resources and staffing.”